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Birdapalooza, the wildlife festival celebrating the recovery of Lake Apopka, takes flight Saturday. The one-day festival, based at Magnolia Park at 2929 South Binion Road, offers guided tours of the lake's north shore by foot, bus and airboat. Most events are free, though there is a $15 a person charge to ride the airboat. Tours promise a glimpse of rare and spectacular birds including bald eagles, peregrin falcons and other raptors, and great blue herons, snowy egrets and other wading birds that frequent the Lake Apopka Restoration Area. The north shore, once a polluted wasteland, now attracts flocks of birding enthusiasts. A stage in the park will feature demonstrations and...

Related "Gatorland" Articles

Birdapalooza, the wildlife festival celebrating the recovery of Lake Apopka, takes flight Saturday.
The one-day festival, based at Magnolia Park at 2929 South Binion Road, offers guided tours of the lake's north shore by foot, bus and airboat.
Most...

The Orlando location of Fun Spot America is undergoing more changes than just the addition of a Gatorland extention.
One of the park's popular rides, Air Race, is being dismantled, said David Hummer, the park's director of marketing. Fun Spot America...

The gators are coming.
Gatorland and Fun Spot America are joining forces to offer a new 15,000-square-foot interactive attraction called, what else, "Gator Spot."
"For many years, Gatorland has investigated opportunities to expand our...

The latest sequel to "Sharknado" will have the shark-infested storm come to Orlando.
In "Sharknado 3," the storm will "attack Washington D.C., roar down the Eastern Seaboard until the final confrontation in Orlando!" a...

Universal Orlando has warmed up to hot butterbeer. The beverage, part of the Harry Potter lore, is now a year-round fixture at both of its theme parks.
Two cooler versions — one frosty, one frozen like an Slurpee — debuted alongside the original...

After having zip-lined with my dad a few years ago on St. Maarten, where he lives, I found my childhood fear of heights had subsided, and now I'm hooked. I have tried four Central Florida zip-line offerings and hope to hit the other three soon. Each has...

It doesn't get any bigger than this, Orlando.
The sharks are coming!
No, not the San Jose Sharks, hockey puck breath.
Sharknado!
Even as we speak, I can envision Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer getting his head bit off on national TV. (Or maybe a...

LEESBURG — Jonnie Spitler ventured 70 miles from her home in Land O' Lakes, drawn by the third annual Wings and Wildflowers Festival at Venetian Gardens. She wasn't disappointed with her excursion Saturday from Pasco County.
"This is lovely,"...

Ripley's will celebrate Oddtoberfest in the parking lot of its International Drive location on Saturday. The event will be free and open to the public.
Featured performances will include Sensei Mike Reeves and the Over the Edge Team demonstrating...

WHAT: There are animals aplenty at Gatorland, and not just the cold-blooded type. Along with the gators, crocs and snakes, the longtime south Orlando attraction spotlights panthers, birds and a petting zoo. But that doesn't mean you should skip the...

NBC's "Today" came to Orlando to announce big news: Diagon Alley, the expansion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, will open July 8.
But that news didn't air live in Central Florida. How do you like that irony?
The announcement, which...

A few years ago, I pledged to finally make my first visit to Gatorland, the iconic old-school tourist attraction in Orlando.
No, it hasn't happened yet.
As a native Floridian, it pains me to admit that I've never stopped at Gatorland, home to the famous...

We’re just three months into 2013, and we are bursting with theme-park developments. And this is supposed to be the slow season. Instead of waiting nine months to compile a year-in-review post, I’ve decided to make quarterly reports that update...

The Orlando World Center Marriott is making a a big splash on the local resort scene.
The 2,000-room resort, which towers above the landscape alongside Interstate 4 opposite Walt Disney World, has finished a multimillion-dollar refurbishment with the...

Sentinel Studios released its first of three installments in the "Gatorcane" trilogy early today.
Presented by Gatorland, "Gatorcane: Storm A-Brewin'" - the opening to the alligator-disaster film saga - is an action-packed,...

This time the alligators win.
'Gatorcane: The Alligators Strike Back', the long-awaited sequel to 'Storm-abrewin', is now threatening screens across the globe.
The second installment in the reptile-saga, frightfest - presented by Gatorland - continues...

The question 'Why are the alligators falling from the sky?' is answered in "Gatorcane: See You Later, Alligator," the final installment of the reptile film saga.
Presented by Gatorland and filmed on-location across Orange County, the...

In Central Florida there is a unchanging list of names on the tongues of residents and tourists alike as to where people should go to experience the natural beauty of Florida. Wekiva Springs. Blue Springs. Rock Springs. Some people...

The newest residents of Gatorland are warm-blooded and furry. Neiko and Lucy, a brother-sister pair of Florida panthers, have moved into a new habitat dubbed Panther Springs.
The 7-year-old big cats moved in early this week and are getting accustomed...